Work supporting attachment



Dec. 3, 1935.. H. E. MORTON- WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT Original Filed March 13, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEQNTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1935. H. E. MORTON 2,022,730

WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT Original Filed March 15, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I M I M I m I u u I u ATTORNEKS Dec. 3, 1935. E. MORTON 2,922,730

WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT Original Filed March 13, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lllllllln'llllllI llll INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Dec. 3,1935. H E, MORTON 2,022,730

WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT Original FiledMaI-ch is, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT Henry E. Morton, Muskegon Heights, Mich.

Application March 13, 1930, Serial No. 435,622 Renewed August 24, 1935 6 Claims.

with precision and accuracy and to make possible the employment of a draw-cut or other shaper for-this purpose. A further object is to provide an attachment for draw-cut or other shapers whereby large, heavy pieces of work may be accurately held and the several surfaces of the work machined without the necessity for releasing and resetting of the work after being once positioned on the holder, which holder may be quickly and accurately adjusted to re-position the Work relative to the cutting tool, to machine the several surfaces thereof at one setting. A further object is to so construct such fixture or attachment, that tapered and other surfaces or openings may be formed. by a shaper of this type or the work of finishing a cylindrical or a flat surface automatically and accurately accomplished.

With the above and other ends in View, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front end elevation of a draw-cut shaper of a known type with an attachment embodying the present invention in place thereon and operatively connected thereto for holding and manipulating large pieces of work to be machined by the shaper;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of power and hand operated means for rotating the work held by the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal axial section through the attachment embodying the present invention and showing a portion of the shaper in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail substantially upon the line 55 of Figure 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail substantially upon the line 66 of Figure 4;

Fig. '7 is a sectional detail upon the line 1-! of Figure 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 and showing the attachment in a different position to illustrate its operation; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail substantially upon the line 9-8 of Figure 8, showing the manner in which the present attachment is adjustably secured to the table of the shaper.

In the drawings, the attachment illustrative 5 of the present invention, is shown as applied to a draw-cut shaper of a type and construction disclosed in my application, Serial No. 249,282, filed by me January 25, 1928, which has become Patent No. 1,889,930 wherein the draw-cut shaper 10 comprises a base A supporting an upright body or pedestal B within the upper part of which a ram C is mounted for longitudinal reciprocation in a horizontal plane, said ram being provided with a suitable tool carrying head C which is 1 rotatively adjustable upon the end of the ram in any suitable manner for the purpose of adjusting the position of the tool C relative to the ram. A horizontally extending rail D is mounted upon the front end of the body B in any suit- 0 able manner for vertical bodily movement thereon below the ram C, such movement being effected through the instrumentality of a vertical screw-shaft E having a bearing at its lower end on the base A,and power operated by power transmitting means including the power shaft I which is operatively connected in any suitable manner, not shown, to said screw E for rotating the same, said shaft I being mounted upon the rail D with its ends projecting beyond the ends of the rail. Power is transmitted to one end of said shaft I, through a gear 2 and a clutch 3 for locking the gear to the shaft, said gear 2 being in mesh with a large gear 4 on the end of a short shaft 5, this large gear being also in mesh with a small gear 6 adapted to be connected by a clutch I to the projecting end of a screw shaft 8 also mounted upon and extending longitudinally of said rail D, said shaft as indicated at 9 in Figure l, passing through a nut secured to the apron F, whereby said apron is moved back and forth along said rail D. A third shaft H] is mounted on the rail D, extending the length thereof and receiving continuous driving power at one end through a train of gears H from a shaft I2 (Fig. 2) which is intermittently driven from any convenient part of the shaper, and on the opposite end of said shaft I0 is a gear l3 in mesh with an idler gear l4 mounted on a stud l5 with a second idler gear l6 alongside it on said stud and adapted to be connected to the idler M by a connecting pin I! to be driven thereby, said gear It being in constant mesh with the large gear 4. Continuous driving motion in one direction is therefore imparted to the large gear 4 from the raise or lower the rail D, apron F and table G shaft Hi when the pin I1 is in position to lock the gears i4 and I6 together and said gear 4 being in mesh with gears 2 and 6 on shafts l and 8 respectively, either one or the other of these: shafts will be driven, depending upon which of the clutches 3 and I is engaged, these clutches being controlled by a hand lever l8 so connected to said clutches that when one clutch is in, the other is out, or when in mid-position, both clutches will be out. By throwing in the clutch 33, motion will be transmitted to the screw E to with a continuous movement, and by throwing in the clutch 1, the apron F and table G may be reciprocated along the rail D.

This mechanism for moving the table horizontally and vertically is the same as disclosed in my above referred to application for patent on the draw-cut shaper, and as shown in that applica-' tion, includes mechanism for imparting an inter-' mittent or feeding movement to said parts in timed relation to the reciprocating movement of the ram C. This intermittent movement is secured by providing a crank I 9 on any convenient shaft 29 of the shaper, which shaft is rotated in timed relation to the movements of the ram, and a connecting rod 2| connects this crank with a vertical slide 22 carrying a rack bar 23 which is in mesh with a pinion 24 on the inner end of the short shaft 5, upon which shaft the gear 4 is mounted with a one way ratchet device indicated as a whole by the numeral 25 and shown in detail in Figure '7, said device being inclosed in the hub of said gear and including a pawl member 2% which may be set by means of a handle 21 to engage internal teeth on the hub and drive the gear 4 intermittently in one direction. When this ratchet device 25 is set to operate, the connecting pin i! will be pulled out so as to disconnect the gear it from the gear l4 and thus stop the transmission of continuous driving motion from the shaft iii to said large gear 4 from which gear motion may, therefore be transmitted either continuously or intermittently to move or feed the work table either vertically or horizontally.

All of the preceding description relates to the construction of the draw-cut shaper shown in my application for patent above referred to, the detailed description of the mechanism for transmitting continuous and intermittent motion being set forth herein although forming no part of the present invention, in order to clearly explain the application of the present invention thereto and the manner in which it is operated by and power applied thereto from the shaper.

The present invention relates more particularly to an attachment in the nature of a chuck for holding certain very large and heavy pieces of work, such as locomotive axle or driving boxes, one such piece being shown in the accompanying 'drawi'ngs as held by the attachment.

The device or attachment embodying the present inventionconsists of a large fixed bearing ring or ring frame 30 formed withan integral bracket or base 36 adapted to seat upon and be rigidly secured to the table G of the shaper, said base being secured to the table by a central or pivot bolt 32 passing through the base and engaging a screw threaded opening in the table, and

three other bolts 33 passing through elongated openings 34 in the base formed concentric with the pivot bolt 32, so that the entire attachment and work carried thereby may be adjusted to an angular position about the vertical axis of the bolt 32 and relative to line of longitudinal moveor circular interior surface of said supporting ring frame and turn freely therein, and secured in any suitable manner, as by screw bolts 31, to said carrying member 35 against the rear face of the frame 3! is a ring gear 38 having exterior teeth, said ring gear being enclosed by a casing 'ring 39 of L-shape in' cross section and secured I cut away the surface of the work H to be ma- Y chined. Where this surface to be machined is semi-circular as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the tool makes a cut across this surface during reciprocation in one direction of the ram, and to advance the work for the next cut, the work is rotated a distance equal to the width of the cut,

and in timed relation to the reciprocation of the ram; and where the surface to be machined is a fiatsurface, as shown in Figure 8, the work is advanced in a horizontal direction, with a step by step movement in timed relation to the reciprocation of said ram, the arrangement of the work uponthe carrying member 35 with relation to the ram and tool being such that by a lateral movement of the table G relative to said ram, said ram and tool may be properly positioned relative to the particular surface of the work to be machined, withoutthe necessity for repositioning the work within or upon the carrying 45 member 35. Therefore all of the interior surfaces of the work may be machined at one setting of the work and the several operations are facilitated and the operations performed with facility and great accuracy.

Should it be desirable to form any surface of the work with a taper in width in the direction of its length, this may be accomplished by setting the attachment at an angle to the line of movement of the ram and tool, that is, the ring frame 30 is rotated slightly about the bolt 32 to bring the attachment into the proper transverse angular relation to the line of movement of the tool in securing the ring frame 30 to the face of the table G. and then securing it in that position by of machining that particular surface, an idler gear 4|, shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, is mounted in the ring frame 30 at one side thereof in mesh with the ring gear 38, and on a hand shaft 42 is keyed or splined a small gear 43 in mesh with the idler 4|, said shaft being provided upon its outer end with a hand wheel 44 by means of which said shaft may be turned by hand to turn the gear43 and through the idler 4| impart rotation to the carrier member 35 and work.

To impart a step by step or intermittent power feeding rotative movement to the work in timed relation to the reciprocation of the ram, a worm gear 45 is mounted for free rotation upon the end of the shaft 42 opposite that to which the hand wheel 44 is secured, said worm being housed within a suitable housing 46 mounted upon or formed integral with the ring frame 30, and on this end of said shaft 42 is secured a suitable clutch member4l to mesh with the hub of the worm gear 45 and connect the worm gear to the shaft to turn therewith or disconnect it therefrom, said clutch 4'! being operated by an endwise movement of said shaft through the gear 43 which is operatively connected to said shaft to turn therewith but with the shaft free to move endwise. Intermittent rotative movement is imparted to the worm gear 45 by means of a worm 48 on a shaft 49 mounted in bearings in the casing 46 and extending across the ring frame 30 at the rear side thereof and through a gear case 50 integral with said frame at the opposite side of said frame, with a gear 51 secured on said shaft in said case, which gear is in mesh with a second gear 52 in said case, upon a shaft 53 extending parallel with the shaft 49, said shaft 53 being splined or otherwise connected to said gear 52 to turn therewith but free to slide longitudinally therethrough when the table G is moved along the rail D to adjust the attachment laterally relative to the ram C.

The end of the shaft 53 opposite that which slides through the gear case 59 and gear 52, is connected to one end of a stub shaft 54, by means of a universal joint connection 55, said stub shaft being mounted in a fixed bearing on the end of the rail D and provided on its outer end with a gear 56 in mesh with a large idler gear 51 which is in turn, in mesh with the gear IE to receive intermittent motion therefrom imparted to said gear l6 as hereinbefore set forth. Continuous rotation in one direction may also be'transmitted by the gear l6, as hereinbefore described, to rotate through the medium of the shafts 53, 49 and worm and gear connections, the ring gear 38 and through it, the carrier member 35 to quickly bring the work to the desired position.

An intermittent or continuous power transverse traverse of the table G and consequently such movement of work relative to the ram and its cutting tool, is provided through the medium of the train of gearing including the gears 4 and I6, and mechanism including the screw shaft 8 and power shaft ID for transmitting motion from and to said gearing, and the crank I 9 for transmitting intermittent motion to said gear 4 in timed relation to the operation of the ram C, all as hereinbefore described.

It will be noted that the ring frame 30 forming the fixed support for the work, is bolted to the face of the shaper table G and extends upwardly from said table, surrounding the ram which reciprocates therethrough in operating upon the work. A very heavy strain is therefore put upon the ring frame 39 by the draw-cut of the tool and if unsupported except by its connection to the table, this supporting frame would be liable to spring sufilciently to affect the accuracy of the work. To guard against this yield of the frame under the heavy strains imposed thereon by the drawcut, brackets 58 are secured to the upper end of the pedestal B, and pivotally attached to these brackets by means of a shaft 59, is an abutment member 69 having arms 6! to turn upon said shaft so that said member may be swung upwardly away from the ring frame 30 or downwardly into engagement with the rear face of the casing ring 39 where it is held in a horizontal position by the engagement of an end or shoulder 5 62 on the abutment member 60, with end surfaces or seats on the ends of the brackets 58. In order that, the abutment member may exactly span the space between the brackets and the face of the ring 39, completely filling this space and Y forming an accurate brace for the upper part of the ring frame 30 to preclude the possibility of any yield of this frame under the strain of the draw-cut, a wedge member 63 is applied to the end of the abutment member 60, forming a continuation thereof but adjustable relative thereto. the contacting edge portions of said wedge and abutment being tapered in the direction of the length of the abutment so that by adjusting the wedge longitudinally, it will be wedged in between the abutment and face of the ring 39. To attach the wedge to the abutment body 60 to swing therewith in placing the abutment, an edge flange 64 overlaps the member 60, lying within an edge notch in said member and secured in place by bolts 65 passing through slots 66 in the flange, said slots being formed parallel with the tapered abutting edges of said wedge and member.

While the work holder or attachment embodying the present invention has been shown and described as applied to a particular type and construction of draw-cut shaper, it will be understood that said device may be modified within the scope of the appended claims to make it applicable to other metal working machines, and that the power for operating the attachment may be supplied from any convenient source.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In apparatus for shaping work by draw out operations, and wherein the cutting tool support reciprocates in a fixed path with the tool adjustable to vary the tool angle'relative to the axis of such path to permit draw out action at various points angularly of the path, the combination of draw out mechanism operative to provide reciprocable movements of the tool in such path, a support through which the tool has its reciprocating movements, a work-supporting member carried by and rotatable upon the support with the rotation path substantially transverse to the reciprocating path of the tool support, said member and its support being adjustable pivotally on a vertical axis within a limited range to permit variation of the angularity of the member rotative path relative to the tool reciprocating path, whereby the tool operation on the positioned work may be provided in the direction of the work axis or angular thereto at will while maintaining the work position on the work supporting member.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that the mechanism includes a vertically and laterally adjustable table to which the support for the work-supporting member is secured, whereby work of irregular shape may be positioned relative to the tool path to permit varied draw-cut operations thereon without disturbing the initial positioning of the work on the work-supporting member.

3. In apparatus for shaping work by draw out 70 operations, and wherein the cutting tool support reciprocates in a fixed path with the tool adjustable to vary the tool angle relative to the axis of such path to permit draw out action at various points angularly of the path, the combination of ciprocating path of the tool support, said mechanism including a vertically and laterally adjustable table to which the support for the work-supporting member is secured, whereby work of irregular shape may be positioned relative to the tool path to permit varied draw out operations thereon without disturbing the initial positioning of the work on the work-supporting member.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 characterized by' means controllably providing the vertical and lateral adjustments of the table, and controllable operative drive connections between said means and the work-supporting member to permit ad justment of the latter rotatively in timed relation to the means operations.

5. Apparatus as in claim 3 characterized in that the support includes an annular portion with the work-supporting member of annular formation and adapted to overlie the inner periphery and the front and rear faces of the support.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by means operative above the plane of the travel path of the reciprocating tool for supporting the support and work-supporting member during cutting activity of the tool, said means being movable into and out of supporting position and adjustable to compensate for variations in the angularity of the support and work-supporting member relative to the tool travel path.

HENRY E. MORTON. 

